How to Take Supply Management to a Higher Level of Performance

My fellow blogger on scmr.com, Bob Rudzki, has a new book out that I think you’ll find interesting, informative and—most important of all—practical. It’s called Next Level Supply Management Excellence: Your Straight to the Bottom Line Roadmap. With co-author Robert Trent of Lehigh University (another frequent contributor to the pages of SCMR), Bob has laid out an accessible and logic route to better supply management.

One thing that I really liked about this book (and I noted this in the Foreword that I wrote) is the skillful integration of strategy and tactics. Next Level Supply Management Excellence identifies the core strategies like strategic sourcing and supplier collaboration, explains what they entail, and tells why they are important to overall supply chain success. The authors then take that necessary next step so often missing in other management books: They tell how to move forward on these strategic initiatives, how to measure their progress, and how to continuously improve.

Put another way, they lay out a roadmap to getting to that next level of performance.

The case studies interspersed throughout the book add a “real-world” feel to the main narrative. Rudzki and Trent have been able to assemble a range of leading companies to highlight and underscore their main points. Colgate-Palmolive, Boston Scientific, Whirlpool, and Alcoa are among those profiled.

There are also excellent—and, again, practical—chapters on key topics like developing leadership skills, implementing a Lean Six Sigma program for supply management, and minimizing risk. Visit our new online bookstore for more on Next Level Supply Management Excellence!

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